Census 2010 - 'We can't move forward until you mail it back'

Published 12:00 am, Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Every 10 years the people in the United States are required to take a head count. Most people understand the importance of the Census, to others it is a pain in the neck.

This year, the U.S. Census Bureau has simplified this task. In the mail you receive a questionnaire with ten questions, you fill it out, then you put it back in the mail. It is estimated that this takes a family an average of 10 minutes. That is faster then bathing your child or walking the dog.

If you do not fill the questioners out, you can expect a knock on your door from a representative of the U.S. Census Bureau to fill the questionnaire out for you.

"A lot of homes have received the 2010 Census this past week," Renne McMillion Clark, Media Specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau, said. "It cost us 42 cents to mail this census to you, if someone has to come to your house it costs about $57. You are looking at 42 cents compared to $57. We need people to have the attitude that this is yours, please mail it back to us."

Clark said it is not only time consuming to have someone come to your house, but the money that is used to send the people to your house is an important factor.

"We are talking about tax payers money, yours and mine, to pay someone to come out and collect the data," Clark said.

According to information given by Clark, the United States Constitution requires a census every 10 years to determine how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. Community leaders use the census to plan schools, building roads, planning recreational opportunities and managing health-care services.

"The 2010 Census is safe because we can not share this information with anyone; the FBI, the police department, the CIA, we cannot even share the information with the President of the United States" Clark said. "The Census is important because of the distribution of more than $400 billion in federal funds to State, Local and Tribal government."

For every one person that does not fill the Census out, our state loses approximately $2700, Clark said. "That is a lot of money that our state needs," Clark said "We lose that money every year, for ten years."

According to Clark it does not matter if the person is a citizen of the United States, everyone that is living in the U.S. needs to be accounted for.

"Non-citizens of the United States should not be worried about filling out the Census," Clark said. "They do not need to be worried about deportation, the information is confidential because with the census it is a statistical count. It is just a count. If you go to a retail store and fill out an application for a credit card they are going to ask you for more information than what we ask."

Clark said that if the information that they gather is shared and it can identify an individual or a business, they can be prosecuted up to five years in prison or have to pay a fine of $250,000 or both.

"We cannot and will not share this information, we have taken an oath that we will not share it," Clark said.

The U.S. Census Bureau is still recruiting for numerators. If the Census is not received and processed by mid-April, people will be knocking on your door at the beginning of May to collect the data.

"If a resident is hesitant or reluctant if this is a Census worker or not, that resident can ask the worker for another form of idea and compare it with their badge," Clark said. "The homeowner should not let the worker in their house, the worker is trained to stand outside of the residents house and take the information that is needed. A Census taker should never ask to come into your house. They will also never ask for personal information like social security number, driver's license number, or bank information. If someone is asking for that information, the residents needs to notify the police immediately."

If you need assistance or have question about the 2010 Census please contact 866-872-6868. If you would like more information about employment with the U.S. Census Bureau please contact 866-872-2010.